Machine for treating food items



May 3, 1960 A. JACOBS MACHINE FOR TREATING FOOD ITEMS Filed Jan. 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR $7 7110/? Jaass 4 I ATTORNEY May 3, 1960 A. JACOBS MACHINE FOR TREATING FOOD ITEMS Filed Jan. 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A

y 1960 A. JACOBS MACHINE FOR TREATING FOOD ITEMS 3 Sheets-Sheet .5

Filed Jan. 22, 1957 INVENTQR. %97w0/9 $56065 BY MACIHNE FUR TREATING FOOD ITEMS Arthur Jacobs, New Hyde Park, N.Y., assignor to The Haumag Corporation, Nassau, N.Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to machines for treating foods and the like and more particularly for removing starch or dust particles from articles of food, such as candies, baked goods and the like, such as disclosed in United gages Letters Patent No. 2,759,437, dated August 21,

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved machine for treating foods, confections and the like and, more particularly, goods cast in starch, such as gum candy, creams, marshmallows and the like, whereby the starch will be effectively removed from the goods, even when the goods are not of uniform construction, or when a plurality of items have adhered to one another to form a multiple lump or chunk, or when, due to their shape, the items are positioned for treatment at one time to present a greater altitude than at another time. As an instance, after items of confectionery, such as gum candy and the like, have been cast in starch, either due to jamming a number of the items together, accidentally, after removing them from the starch, or due to unexpected changes in temperature or the like, or due to the fact that the items have not been properly cooled when advanced to the starch removing machine, a number of the items may become caked together to form an ungainly lump or chunk.

On the other hand, due to the shape of the item, if of a greater altitude than width, as an instance, if the item rested on its base, it would have a different altitude than when it rested on its side.

Although thesorter will remove the objectionable lumps advanced before the items are fed to the packaging machine or packaging station, difficulty has heretofore been encountered in advancing a plurality of such items through a starch removing machine when such large lumps or such differently positioned items would appear.

With the latter in mind, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a starch removing machine characterized by rotatable blowers, one above and the other below the path of movement of the items to be treated, and to mount the upper blower upon a pivotally mounted frame which will rise and fall with the size of the items, or size of caked items, or position of the items, or caked items, that are being advanced Without interfering with the operation of the upper blower as well as the lower blower.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of a part of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6-is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a second embodiment. v a

Fig. 10 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the embodiment shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmental detail in section showing the vibrator.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, there is illustrated a rectangular frame 1, mounted on three pairs of standards 2, 3 and 4. The standards 2 extend from the floor to the frame 1. The standards 3 extend from the floor to and above the frame 1, with journals 5 connected to the upper ends thereof to receive the shaft 6 of the roller 7, disposed to operate between the standards 3 and the sprocket wheel 8, fixed to the shaft 6 on the outside of one of the standards 3 to receive the sprocket chain 9, which is connected to the sprocket wheel '10 on the main driven shaft 11, mounted in the journals 12, extending outwardly from the upper ends of the standards 2. The shaft 11 has fixed thereon the roller 13-, operating between the outer ends of the journals 12 and supporting the apron or conveyor belt 14, composed of any suitable material, such as fine wire mesh.

The belt 14 extends from the roller 13 to the idler 15 mounted in the journals 16, secured to the outer edges of the standards 2 below the frame 1, then to the idler 1'7, mounted in the journals 18, secured to the outer edges of the standards 4, below the frame 1, then to the idler 19 mounted in the outer ends of the journals 29, extending from the outer ends of the standards 4 and then back to the roller 13 on the shaft 11. The conveyor belt 14 is driven by the shaft 11 so that its upper surface, see Fig. 2, travels from the roller 15 to the idler 19.. The food items are fed to the conveyor 14 at the left-hand end of the machine, shown in Fig. 1, adjacent the shaft 11, then passed across the vibrator 21, then to the blower system 22, constituting the main part of the present invention disposed between the pairs of standards 3 and 4 and then discharged from the belt 14 beyond the roller 19 for further treatment.

The vibrator 21 is mounted on the platform 23, secured by the hangers 24 to the side rails 25 of the frame 1. The vibrator 21 consists essentially of a base 26 having an electro-magnetic core 27, fixedly connected to the base 26 and connected by the wires 28 to a suitable source of electric current. Into the core 27 extends the armature 29 which is fixed to the plate 30, resiliently pressed into engagement with the lower face of the upper strand of the belt 14. The plate 30 may be resiliently mounted by any suitable means, such as the rubber annulus 31 mounted on the base 26 of the vibrator 21. The clearance for movement of the plate 30 may be about of an inch so that the vibration would ordinarily not exceed of an inch.

From the vibrator 21 the food items are fed by the conveyor belt 14 to the blower system 22, which consists essentially of two rotatable blowers 32 and 33.

Intermediate the standards 3 and 4, a pair of uprights 34 and 35 are secured to the rails 25 of the frame 1, which extend down below the rails 25 and are connected to one another by the crosspiece 36 on which is mounted the chambered boss 37 for rotatably receiving the chambered shaft 38. The boss 37 in turn is connected to the main pressure line 40 by the T-joint 41. On the chambered shaft 38 there is secured the two armed rotatable blower 32, which is chambered. The chambers of the blower 32, shaft 38, boss 37 and conduit 39 are in communication with one another to allow a medium under pressure to be supplied thereto from the pressure line 40. The ends of the blower 32 have downwardly extending orifices of about ,4 of an inch in diameter. Excellent results have been achieved when the blower 32 is composed of a pipe of about of an inch in diameter, with a bore about A of an inch in diameter and a length of about 8 inches. In order to effect rotation of the 'blower 32, the orifices at the ends of the arms thereof extend upwardly at right angles from the main chamber in the blower 32 but incline to the vertical and in different directions one to the other, details of which correspond to the details of the blower 33 and will hereinafter be described with regard to the blower 33.

The blower 32 in the present instance will rotate in a horizontal path of movement and directly below the upper strand of the belt 14. Above the rotor 32 there is operatively mounted the rotor 33 operable in an angular direction, reverse to that of the rotor 32. The rotor 33, however, is not stationary or fixed in a vertical direction relative to the frame 1 but movable up and down with the rotor 33 operating in a horizontal direction, parallel to the horizontal direction of the path of movement of the rotor 32, and above the upper strand of the belt 14.

The rotor 32. operates within the endless belt 42 composed, as an instance, of a fine wire mesh similar to the construction of the belt 14. The belt 42 extends around the roller 7 and the roller 43. The roller 43 is rotatably mounted at its ends to the extensions 44 of the standards 4, which extensions 44 extend above the frame 1, the roller 43 being disposed at substantially the same level as the roller 7, and the belt 42 being long enough so that it will drape down as particularly shown in Fig. 3, either into engagement with the belt 14 or into engagement with the food items supported by the belt 14 so that the food items supported on the belt 14 will be anchored between the belt 14 and belt 42 when subjected to blasts of a medium under pressure emanating from the blowers 32 and 33. Further to insure the engagement of the belt 42 with the food items on the belt 14 there is provided the wire frame or guide 45 consisting of a plurality of wires 46 extending parallel to one another and extending from the arm 47 to the arm 48 of the frame 45. The arms 47 and 48 both extend transversely across and above the path of movement of the lower strand of the belt 14 and substantially the full width of the belt 14. Extending from the inner faces of the standards 3 to the inner faces of the standards 4, there are provided the angle irons 49 and 50 having inwardly extending webs 51 and 52, respectively, on which the longitudinally extending edges of the belt 42 support the upper strand of the belt 42 in a substantially horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus insure a substantially ample drape for the lower strand of the belt 42 into engagement with the food items transported by the belt 14. The arms 47 and 48 and the wires 46 of the frame 45 will cooperate with the angle irons 49 and 56 to maintain the drape in the lower strand of the belt 42 effectively to engage the food items being transported by the belt 14.

The arms 47 and 48 are connected to one another, see Figs. 3 and 4, by the side plates 53 and 54, which are connected to the crossbar 55 at the lower ends of the side arms 56 and 57. These side arms 56 and 57 are connected to one another. The side arm 56 has pivotally connected at its upper end the link 58 which is fixed to the shaft 5? journaled in the bearings 60, secured to the outer faces of the extensions 44 of the standards 4. Parallel to the link 58 there is provided the link 61, which is pivotally connected at its rear end to the upper outer face of the upright arm 57. The front end of the link 61 is fixed to the shaft 59. This shaft 59 has secured to it the rod 62 in the present instance in alinement with the links 58 and 61 and extending forwardly thereof to receive the weight or counter-balance 63, which is secured thereto by a thumb nut 64, the position of the counter-Weight 63 on the rod 62 being T determined by the weight of the upright arms 56 and 57,

4 wire frame 45, blower 33 and associated parts. Below the links 58 and 61 there are provided the links 162 and 163 which are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the upright arms 56 and 57 and at their front ends are connected to the shaft 164 journaled in the bearings mounted on the rear faces of the extensions 44 of the standards 4. The links 162 and 163 are parallel to the links 58 and 61, respectively, to form parallelograms with the upright arms 56 and 57 and the bearings 60 and 64. To the lower face of the crosspiece 55 there is fixed the chambered boss 65 in which rotatably mounted is the chambered shaft 66 to which is fixed the rotatable blower 33. This blower, see Fig. 6, is chambered having two arms 67 and 167 about 4 of an inch in diameter with a bore 68 of about A of an inch in diameter with orifices 69 and 70 at the ends thereof extending at right angles to the bore 68 but inclined relative to one another'and opening downwardly so that, see Fig. 4, the blower 33 would rotate in a counter-clockwise direction when looking down upon the upper face thereof. The bore and orifices of the lower blower 32 is constructed substantially identical to the bore 68 and orifices 69 and 70 of the blower 33 with the orifices, however, facing upwardly and in the opposite directions to the directions of the orifices 69 and 70 so that the blower 32 will rotate in a clockwise direction. In other words, with the orifices 69 and 70 inclined to the vertical, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, when a medium under pressure is discharged from the same it will impart a rotative action to the blowers 32 and 33.

The chambered boss'65 is connected to the flexible conduit 71 which extends out through one side of the belt 42 and then over the extensions 44 to the T-joint 41 in communication with the conduit 40 or main pressure line. The conduit 40, T-joint 41, flexible conduit 71, boss 65, shaft 66, bore 68 and orifices 69 and 70 of the rotor 33 are in communication with one another to enable the medium under pressure supplied through the conduit 40 to pass not only to the rotor 32 but also to the rotor 33 and discharge from the orifices of the two rotors 32 and 33 to cause the same to rotate in opposite angular directions to one another. Excellent results have been achieved when air under pressure of forty to fifty pounds is used. Although with cast gum candy, marshmallow candy and cream candy the starch accumulated on the same during casting will be effectively removed when air under pressure of forty to fifty pounds is used, it is of course obvious that with other food items instead of air under pressure, steam, water or another liquid might be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

With the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, and the vibrator shown in Fig. 11, in the removal of starch from gum candy, cast in starch as an instance, the gum candy such as licorice drops, will be received on the belt 14 at the rear end adjacent the shaft 11 and then advanced by the belt 14. When the candy units arrive above the vibrator 21 due to the vibration transmitted to the belt 14 by the plate 30 it will be effective to cause the candy units to be separated into a single layer and thereupon, and at the same time, due to the vibration dislodge some of the starch accumulated on the candy. From there the belt 14 will transport the candy units to and below the belt 42 when due to the drape in the lower strand of the belt 42 and the wire frame 45 the candy units will be effectively anchored on the belt 14 while they are further transported to the discharge end of the belt 14 beyond the idler or roller 19. When the candy units are positioned between the belt 14 and the belt 42, due to the medium under pressure being discharged upon the same, both upon their lower faces as well as their upper faces, most if not all of the starch still remaining on the candy units will be removed from the same.

However, should any of the candy units have become caked together or should an oversize have been produced, due to the yieldability pf the frame carrying the upper blower 33 and wire frame 45 as well as the yieldability of the lower strandof-the belt-42, the caked group of candy units as well as an oversized piece, will continue to move forward with the belt 14 without interrupting the operation of the machine. Then after the candy units have been so treated including the caked lumps as well as the oversized pieces, they will be discharged from the belt 14 and passed through the sorting station where the sorter will remove the objectionable-pieces.

The embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 8, as distinguished from the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 9 and 1G, differ primarily in that the driven roller 7 and the idler 43 of the belt 42 of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 rotate at a fixed level, whereas in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 the belt 72 which takes the place of the belt 42 is mounted upon rollers 73 and 74 journaled on the frame 75 to which is rotatably connected the rotor 76 which replaces the rotor 33 of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, which frame 75 is mounted at the lower end of the side arm 77 pivotally connected to the parallel arms 78 and 79 which in turn are pivotally connected to the arm 80, taking the place of the extensions 44 of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8.

The roller 73 in the present embodiment is fixed on the shaft 81 which extends beyond the arm 77, see Fig. 10, and has mounted thereon the sprocket wheel 32 which is connected by the sprocket chain 83 to the sprocket wheel 84 mounted on the shaft 85 which in turn has fixed thereon the sprocket wheel 86 which is connected by the sprocket chain 87 to the sprocket wheel 38 which is mounted on the shaft 89 on which is fixed a sprocket wheel which is connected by the sprocket chain 90 to a suitable source of power, which may or may not be the same source of power to which the belt 91 is drivingly connected.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, the rails 25 have upwardly extending side boards 92 disposed adjacent the edge of the upper strand of the belt 14 to serve as guards to prevent the candies being transported on the belt 14, from being accidentally spilled over the longitudinal edges of the belt 14. As shown in Fig. 5, the width of the belt 42 is substantially the same as the width of the belt 14 and similarly cooperates with the side boards 92 to protect the food units between the belts 14 and 42 from being accidentally spilled from the longitudinally extending edges of the belts 14 and 42.

Obviously, in place of the flexible conduit 71 a rigid chambered arm may pivotally connect the T-joint 41 with the chambered boss 65 of the blower 33 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Preferably as shown in turn to maintain the belt 14 the degree of tautness desired, the journals or adjusting plates 20 are connected to the side bars 92 by the set screws 93 and 94 to enable the extensions 20 to extend a greater or lesser distance from the front ends of the side bars 92, according to the degree of tautness desired in the belt 14.

Preferably also, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, an adjusting screw 95 is mounted in the bracket 96 extending outwardly from one of the sidewalls 92 serving as a stop for the downward limit of movement of the crossbar 55.

details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a device including an endless wire mesh retainer operatively disposed above a conveyor travelling in one direction and having a supporting portion for receiving and transporting food items and having a yieldable portion thereof travelling adjacent to the supporting portion of said conveyor capturing the food items received between said retainer and said conveyor and yieldably anchoring the food items of varying bulk against accidental displacement while being transported, means for drivingsaid retainer in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyor to enable the yieldable retainer portion and conveyor supporting portion to travel in substantially the same direction, air blowers including rotating air discharging nozzles disposed directly opposite one another, one adjacent the inner face of the portion of said retainer travelling adjacent to the supporting portion of said conveyor and the other below the supporting portion of said conveyor,

and a movable frame comprising parallel links and a counterweight connected to one of said links partially to counterbalance the frame, said frame being in engagement with the inner face of said retainer and yieldably supporting the nozzle adjacent said retainer to enable said nozzle to move with said retainer to accommodate food items of different bulk between said conveyor and the yieldable portion of said retainer.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 having a guide in engagement with the yieldable portion of said retainer which is connected to said movable frame and yields with said movable frame to accommodate its position according to the bulk or size of the food items being treated, said guide extending to either side of said adjacent nozzle to prevent movement of said yieldable retainer portion into the path of movement of said adjacent nozzle.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 having a guide in engagement withthe yieldable portion of said retainer which is connected to said movable frame, and said guide comprising an arm adjacent the path of movement of said adjacent nozzle to deflect said retainer out of the path of movement of said adjacent nozzle.

4. The combination of a device including an endless Wire mesh retainer operatively disposed above a conveyor, said conveyor travelling in one direction and having a supporting portion for transporting food items, and said retainer having a yieldable portion thereof travelling adjacent to the supporting portion of said conveyor capturing the food items received between said retainer and said conveyor and yieldably anchoring the food items of varying bulk against accidental displacement while being transported, means for driving said retainer in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyor to enable the portions thereof adjacent one another to travel in substantially the same direction, a blower for a medium under pressure including a rotating discharge nozzle disposed adjacent the inner face of the portion of said retainer travelling adjacent to the supporting portion of said conveyor, and a movable frame comprising parallel links and a counterweight connected to one of said links partially to counterbalance the frame, and in engagement with the inner face of said retainer and yieldably supporting the nozzle adjacent said retainer to move with said retainer to accommodate food items of diiferent bulk between said conveyor and the yieldable portion of said retainer.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 characterized by a limiting stop cooperating with said movable frame to protect said retainer from engagement by said yieldably supported nozzle.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 characterized by a guide in engagement with the yieldable portion of said retainer which is connected to said movable frame and yields with said movable frame to accommodate its 7. The combination as set forth in claim 4 characterized by a guide in engagement with the yieldable portion of said retainer which is connected to said movable frame, said guide comprising an arm adjacent the path of movement of said nozzle to deflect said retainer out of the path of said nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,182 Haase Jan. 2, 1906 Gopel ec. 11', 1928 Brown et a1 Oct. 31, 1933 James Nov. 20, 1934 Dubus Nov. 24, 1936 Bernal Nov. 7, 1944 Jacobs Aug. 21, 1956 

